Individual Details
Lothar I, Emperor, King of Lorraine
(795 - 29 Sep 855)
Lothar was born in 795, the eldest son of the Carolingian emperor Louis I 'the Pious' and his first wife Irmingard/Ermengard, daughter of Ingram, Graf in Haspengau. He led his full brothers Pippin I, king of Aquitaine, and Ludwig 'the German' in revolt against their father on several occasions, in protest against his attempts to make their half-brother Charles 'the Bald' a co-heir to the Frankish domains. Upon the death of their father, Charles and Ludwig joined forces against Lothar in a three year civil war (840-843), the struggles between the brothers leading directly to the break-up of the great Frankish empire assembled by their grandfather Charlemagne, and lay the foundations for the development of modern France and Germany.
Little is known of Lothar's early life, which was probably passed at the court of his grandfather Charlemagne. Shortly after the accession of his father, he was sent to govern Bavaria. He first comes to historical attention in 817, when Louis 'the Pious' drew up his _Ordinatio Imperii._ In this Louis designated Lothar as his principal heir, to whom his younger brothers Pippin and Ludwig, as well as his cousin Bernhard I, king of Italy, would be subject after the death of their father; he would also inherit their lands if they were to die childless. Lothar was then crowned joint emperor by his father at Aix-la-Chapelle. At the same time Aquitaine and Bavaria were granted to his brothers Pippin and Ludwig respectively as subsidiary kingdoms. Following the murder of Bernhard I by Louis 'the Pious' in 818, Lothar also received the kingdom of Italy. In 821 he married Irmgard de Tours, daughter of Hugues, comte de Tours, and his wife Ada. Two sons, Ludwig II and Lothar II, and a daughter would have progeny.
In 822 Lothar assumed the government of Italy, and at Easter, 5 April 823, he was crowned emperor by Pope Paschal I, this time at Rome. In November 824 he promulgated a statute concerning the relations of pope and emperor which reserved the supreme power to the secular potentate, and he afterwards issued various ordinances for the good government of Italy.
On his return to his father's court, his stepmother Judith won his consent to her plan for securing a kingdom for her son Charles, a scheme which was carried out in 829 when the young prince was given Alemannia as king. Lothar, however, soon changed his attitude and spent the succeeding decade in constant strife over the division of the empire with his father. He was alternately master of the empire, and banished and confined to Italy, at one time taking up arms in alliance with his brothers and at another fighting against them, while the bounds of his appointed kingdom were in turn extended and reduced.
The first rebellion began in 830. All three brothers fought their father, whom they deposed. In 831 Louis was reinstated and he deprived Lothar of his imperial title and gave Italy to the young Charles. The second rebellion was instigated by Angilbert II, archbishop of Milan and again Louis was deposed and reinstated the next year. Lothar, through the loyalty of the Lombards and later reconciliations, retained Italy and the imperial position through all remaining divisions of the empire by his father.
When Louis 'the Pious' was dying in 840, he sent the imperial insignia to Lothar who, disregarding the various partitions, claimed the whole of the empire. Negotiations with his brother Ludwig 'the German' and his half-brother Charles, both of whom armed to resist this claim, were followed by an alliance of the younger brothers against Lothar. A decisive battle was fought at Fontenay-en-Puisaye on 25 June 841. There, in spite of his and his allied nephew Pippin II of Aquitaine's personal gallantry, Lothar was defeated and fled to Aachen. With fresh troops he began a war of plunder, but the forces of his brother were too strong for him, and taking with him such treasure as he could collect, he abandoned his capital to them. He met with the leaders of the _Stellinga_ ('companions, comrades'), a movement of the lower two of the three Saxon non-slave castes) in Speyer and promised them support in return for theirs, but his brother Ludwig and then the native Saxon nobility put down the Stellinga in the next years.
Peace negotiations began, and in June 842 the brothers met on an island in the Saône, and agreed to an arrangement which developed, after much difficulty and delay, into the Treaty of Verdun signed in August 843. By this Lothar received the imperial title as well as northern Italy and a long stretch of territory from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, essentially along the valleys of the Rhine and the Rhone. He soon left Italy to his eldest son Ludwig II, and remained in his new kingdom, engaging in alternate quarrels and reconciliations with his brothers and in futile efforts to defend his lands from the attacks of the Northmen (as Vikings were known in Frankish writings) and the Saracens.
In 855 he became seriously ill and, despairing of recovery, he renounced the throne and divided his lands between his three sons. His eldest son Ludwig II received Italy and the title of Emperor, Lothar II received Lotharingia, while Charles received Provence. On 23 September 855 Lothar entered the monastery of Prüm, where he died six days later on 29 September. He was buried at Prüm, where his remains were found in 1860.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Little is known of Lothar's early life, which was probably passed at the court of his grandfather Charlemagne. Shortly after the accession of his father, he was sent to govern Bavaria. He first comes to historical attention in 817, when Louis 'the Pious' drew up his _Ordinatio Imperii._ In this Louis designated Lothar as his principal heir, to whom his younger brothers Pippin and Ludwig, as well as his cousin Bernhard I, king of Italy, would be subject after the death of their father; he would also inherit their lands if they were to die childless. Lothar was then crowned joint emperor by his father at Aix-la-Chapelle. At the same time Aquitaine and Bavaria were granted to his brothers Pippin and Ludwig respectively as subsidiary kingdoms. Following the murder of Bernhard I by Louis 'the Pious' in 818, Lothar also received the kingdom of Italy. In 821 he married Irmgard de Tours, daughter of Hugues, comte de Tours, and his wife Ada. Two sons, Ludwig II and Lothar II, and a daughter would have progeny.
In 822 Lothar assumed the government of Italy, and at Easter, 5 April 823, he was crowned emperor by Pope Paschal I, this time at Rome. In November 824 he promulgated a statute concerning the relations of pope and emperor which reserved the supreme power to the secular potentate, and he afterwards issued various ordinances for the good government of Italy.
On his return to his father's court, his stepmother Judith won his consent to her plan for securing a kingdom for her son Charles, a scheme which was carried out in 829 when the young prince was given Alemannia as king. Lothar, however, soon changed his attitude and spent the succeeding decade in constant strife over the division of the empire with his father. He was alternately master of the empire, and banished and confined to Italy, at one time taking up arms in alliance with his brothers and at another fighting against them, while the bounds of his appointed kingdom were in turn extended and reduced.
The first rebellion began in 830. All three brothers fought their father, whom they deposed. In 831 Louis was reinstated and he deprived Lothar of his imperial title and gave Italy to the young Charles. The second rebellion was instigated by Angilbert II, archbishop of Milan and again Louis was deposed and reinstated the next year. Lothar, through the loyalty of the Lombards and later reconciliations, retained Italy and the imperial position through all remaining divisions of the empire by his father.
When Louis 'the Pious' was dying in 840, he sent the imperial insignia to Lothar who, disregarding the various partitions, claimed the whole of the empire. Negotiations with his brother Ludwig 'the German' and his half-brother Charles, both of whom armed to resist this claim, were followed by an alliance of the younger brothers against Lothar. A decisive battle was fought at Fontenay-en-Puisaye on 25 June 841. There, in spite of his and his allied nephew Pippin II of Aquitaine's personal gallantry, Lothar was defeated and fled to Aachen. With fresh troops he began a war of plunder, but the forces of his brother were too strong for him, and taking with him such treasure as he could collect, he abandoned his capital to them. He met with the leaders of the _Stellinga_ ('companions, comrades'), a movement of the lower two of the three Saxon non-slave castes) in Speyer and promised them support in return for theirs, but his brother Ludwig and then the native Saxon nobility put down the Stellinga in the next years.
Peace negotiations began, and in June 842 the brothers met on an island in the Saône, and agreed to an arrangement which developed, after much difficulty and delay, into the Treaty of Verdun signed in August 843. By this Lothar received the imperial title as well as northern Italy and a long stretch of territory from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, essentially along the valleys of the Rhine and the Rhone. He soon left Italy to his eldest son Ludwig II, and remained in his new kingdom, engaging in alternate quarrels and reconciliations with his brothers and in futile efforts to defend his lands from the attacks of the Northmen (as Vikings were known in Frankish writings) and the Saracens.
In 855 he became seriously ill and, despairing of recovery, he renounced the throne and divided his lands between his three sons. His eldest son Ludwig II received Italy and the title of Emperor, Lothar II received Lotharingia, while Charles received Provence. On 23 September 855 Lothar entered the monastery of Prüm, where he died six days later on 29 September. He was buried at Prüm, where his remains were found in 1860.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 795 | ||||
| Marriage | Oct 821 | Irmgard de Tours | |||
| Death | 29 Sep 855 | Prüm, Eifel |
Families
| Spouse | Irmgard de Tours ( - 851) |
| Child | Lothar II King of Lorraine (835 - 869) |
| Father | Louis I "The Pious" Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (778 - 840) |
| Mother | Ermengarda ( - ) |
| Sibling | Hildegard de France (803 - 860) |